The present invention relates to an apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette.
An apparatus for winding a long video tape on reels of a video tape cassette and cutting a given length of the tape has been already in practical use. However, in a conventional apparatus of this kind, although the tape is automatically wound and cut, reels are not automatically mounted on the winding apparatus but are mounted manually one by one. Therefore, this winding step requires manual labor.
Since video tape cassettes are produced and sold on a large scale, it is very important that the winding step is carried out with a high efficiency and with a smaller number of workers.
Instead of using human hands, reels can be mounted on and removed from the winding apparatus by robots the movement of which is controlled by means of micro-computers. However, a machine using robots for mounting and demounting reels is very complicated and expensive. Further, by using such a machine, it is difficult to simultaneously remove reels with tape wound thereon and mount empty reels. Therefore, much time is required for mounting and removing reels, and the efficiency, i.e. the work per unit time, is low.
The present invention has been developed for the purpose of eliminating the above-described disadvantages. An important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette which can simultaneously remove reels already having video tape wound thereon and feed empty reels thus improving the efficiency of the work, and which apparatus has a simple mechanism and can be easily operated and manufactured at a low cost.
The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for purpose of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.